John a



J. H. SHEPHARD. BOTTLE LOCK STOPPER.

Pawn ted Mar. 6, 1894.

UNITED STATES Pn'rn'r uric,

BOTTLE LOCK-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Iatent No. 516,027, dated March 6, 1894.

' Application filed December-27, 1893. Serial mussel. (Nomodeh) T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. SHEPHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Lock- Stoppers; and I d hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others [0 skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to bottle-stoppers, adapted also for use with decanters and demijohns, and other similar'vcssels.

It consists of a stopper provided with a key as hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the device is to provide a stopper which may be placed in the neck of the bottle, there locked in place by a key, and the key removed if so desired, while the bottle is securely sealed and its contents pre vented from escape or abstraction, except by use of the key. 4

My invention is illustrated in the accom- 2 5 panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an exterior view of the stopper; Fig. 2, a central sectional view of the same; Fig. 3, a top view of the stopper; Fig. 4, a view of the stopper applied to the neck of the hottle; Figs. 5 and 6, details of metal washer inside the stopper.

Referring to the drawings,A is the stopper plug provided with a shoulder b, and a central stem 0. The upper portion of the stem 3 5 is screw threaded, and its lower portion smooth and square-shaped as at o.

D is a thick rubber washer made to slip over the stem 0, and be presseddown onto the shoulder b, and fit very tightly and snugly o around the squared portion, 0, of the stern.

F is a cap composed of alower hollow stem g, an upper hollow stem h, and a central projecting ring i, which unites the two stems g and h. lhe lower stem 9 of the cap has a 5 square central aperture j, out through its base and a round hole is cut through its top. By

means of these holes the cap F is slipped on to the stem 0 of the plug A, until the lower stem got the cap rests on the washerl) of the plug. The square portion, 0, of the stem 0 of the plug enters the square walls of the hole and the cap is thereby prevented from turnper stem 71, is placed a loose metal washer M,

to engage with the upper end of the screw stem, 0, when turned by the key, and the hole in the base of this washer is screw threaded for that purpose. The top of the upper cap stem, h, is cut out to form a key hole, 0, and the loose Washer M, is provided with two slots, 19,19, to conveniently receive the wing of a key, B, so that the said washer may be turned on the plug stem to screw or unscrew the plug. On the under side of the central ring, 2', is formed an annular seat in whichis placed a rubber washer, S, which is designed to form a snug air tight seat for the neck head of the bottle.

The cap is preferably at first constructed in two parts at the ring part, the washer M then inserted in the upper stem of the cap, and the two parts of the ring then soldered together to make an integral cap.

When all the parts are put together and the stopper plug inserted in the neck of the bottle in order to lock the bottle it is only necessary to insert the key in the upper stem of the cap, and in place in engagement with the washerM, and to then turn the said washer on the plug stem. This movement serves to draw the stopper plug upward bringing the thick rubber washer, D up against the lower stem, g, of the cap, F. As the turning of the key is continued the rubber D is made to expand laterally against the inner walls of the neck of the bottle. This expansion of the washer D results in such a tight fit against the neck of the bottle that on removalof the key from thestopper it isimpossible to'withuable liquids generally, and in short wher ever secure locking of the contents of a bot tie is desired, at the same time an easy access thereto without the use of corkscrews or other similar means for removing the cork, my invention will he found most convenient and effieient.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim is- A stopper consisting of the cap F composed of the two hollow stems g and h, a, ring projection uniting said stems, a plug A provided with a shoulder, b, an expanding Washer I) held between said shoulder and thebottom ereoer of said lower part g, a central stern afixed in the plug A, said stem having a smooth sqnared lower portion 0' and an upper screw threaded end, and a screw washer M, Within said upper stem portion h, adapted to be engaged with said. screw stem by means of a, suitable key, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. SI-IEPIIARD.

Witnesses:

Jos. H. BLAOKWOOD, H. P. DQOLITTLE. 

